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Sunny
)|birth_place = Matawan, New Jersey|death_date = |death_place = |resides = |billed = |trainer = Kevin Sullivan Chris Candido Jim Cornette|debut = June 26, 1995|released = July 1998}} Tamara Lynn Sytch widely known by her ring name Sunny, is an American professional wrestling manager, valet, and ring announcer. Biography The opening line of Sunny's theme song perfectly captured the gorgeous Diva's specific mindset — "I know you want me." It may have been an arrogant statement, but it wasn't far from the truth. In a career that has spanned decades, the woman born Tamara Lynn Sytch has been one of the most popular females to ever set foot in the ring. But the beauty never planned on entering the squared circle. As a teenager in New Jersey, she was a stellar student who was set to attend the University of Miami on a full academic scholarship. Then she met a kid named Chris Candido and her life was forever changed. An aspiring Superstar, Candido persuaded Sytch to turn down her scholarship and follow him to Tennessee where he was set to begin work with Jim Cornette's Smoky Mountain Wrestling. She went along and started classes at the University of Tennessee, but she was soon convinced by Cornette to start working for SMW as an abrasive, self-styled manager who idolized Hillary Clinton. Sytch agreed and proved to be a natural villain, striking a chord with the audience to the point that fans would leap over the railings to attack her during shows. This rare mix of beauty and business smarts soon caught the attention of WWE, leading to Sytch signing a contract in 1995. First working as a broadcast correspondent, she soon returned to managing Candido. Now known as The Bodydonnas, the couple became Sunny and Skip, a pair of smug fitness freaks who delighted in insulting the physiques of everyone in the WWE Universe. Soon joined by Skip's "brother" Zip, the team won the World Tag Team Championships at WrestleMania XII in 1996. That same year, Sunny's popularity exploded. Her bikini issue of RAW Magazine sold a record number of copies, she won two Slammy Awards (including Best Buns) and was deemed the most downloaded woman in the world by America Online. Suddenly, the loathed villain was one of the hottest personalities in WWE. More ring success followed. She managed The Smokin' Gunns and The Godwinns to the World Tag Team Championships and introduced Ron Simmons as Farrooq to the WWE Universe. And in 1998, she experienced the biggest thrill of her managerial career when she accompanied a reenergized Legion of Doom, Hawk and Animal, to the ring at WrestleMania XIV. Sunny’s stint with L.O.D. 2000 proved to be her last major run in WWE. She went on to Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling. Sytch will forever be remembered as the person who redefined the role of women in WWE. She wasn't just a brainless bikini model or a vivacious valet at ringside. She was a pinup, a fast-talking manager and could throw down when she needed to. In short, she was sexy, smart and powerful. The claim may be a topic of debate, but Sytch will always defend her belief that she is the original WWE Diva. “My definition of a Diva is that all-around, well-rounded performer," she told WWE.com. “The girls who came before me were so one dimensional and then I came along and anything they threw at me I could do. I could get in the ring and have a match, I managed at ringside, I co-hosted TV shows, I did broadcasting. I was the first one to do it all." Statements like this have made Sunny the target of controversy, but it is not something she shies away from. After all, she got to where she is by speaking her mind. And it is this fierce independence and trailblazing originality that earned Sunny her place in the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2011. - WWE.com Personal life Sytch attended the same high school as her long-time boyfriend, Chris Candido, who would later introduce her to the professional wrestling industry. Sytch regularly managed Candido throughout his career and remained with him until his death in 2005. By 2007, she was once again in school, studying Medical Technology. Sytch had a nine-month affair with Shawn Michaels. In 1997, Michaels insinuated that Bret Hart had been having an affiar with Sytch, which Hart denied. The accusation caused marital problems for Hart, leading to a backstage confrontation with Michaels. Sytch was friends with Hart and would entertain his children whenever they followed him on tour. Sytch walked out of Raw the night after, and in reaction to, the Montreal Screwjob, the incident in which WWF owner Vince McMahon cost Hart the WWF Championship. Sytch was rushed to the hospital in 2001 after her appendix burst, which required time off from wrestling to heal. While in jail in 2013, Sytch said that she was diagnosed with cervical cancer but underwent a hysterectomy and was later diagnosed as cancer free. She released an autobiography, A Star Shattered: The Rise & Fall & Rise of Wrestling Diva Tammy "Sunny" Sytch, on February 4, 2016. Adult entertainment Sytch has claimed that, in 1997, Playboy had approached her and offered a six-figure sum to pose nude for the magazine. Sytch stated that she declined the offer because she didn't feel that she was emotionally ready to do something like that. Rena "Sable" Mero, with whom Sytch had real-life animosity, later refuted Sytch's claim that she was approached for a possible photo shoot. From 2001 to 2003, however, Sytch regularly posed nude for Missy Hyatt's adult website Wrestling Vixxxens. In later years, Sytch said she regretted taking part in the website due to money she claimed she never received as well as the sexual actions some of the other models performed in their own photo and video shoots. In 2016, Vivid Entertainment released a pornographic film featuring Sytch titled Sunny Side Up: In Through the Backdoor. Championships and accomplishments * Cauliflower Alley Club ** Other honoree (1996) * New England Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame ** Class of 2013 * Pro Wrestling Illustrated ** PWI Manager of the Year (1996) * Women Superstars Uncensored ** WSU Championship (1 time) * World Wrestling Federation/WWE ** Best Buns (1996) ** Minds Behind the Mayhem (1996) ** Slammy Award (2 times) ** WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2011) Category:WWE Alumni Category:WCW Alumni Category:ECW Alumni Category:1995 Debuts Category:1998 Departures Category:American Divas Category:New Generation Era Category:Attitude Era Category:Managers/Valets Category:Slammy Award Winners Category:WWE Hall of Fame